2017 Ford F-Series Super Duty: Gearing up for Retaliation

Whether we like it or not, Ford is the leader in the world of pickup trucks. Its vehicles aren’t perfect, but the Dearborn automaker has plenty of experience in the field. The pickups wearing the Blue Oval—which seems to get bigger and bigger on their front grille—are technically advanced and can tow heavy loads, but it’s more the fact that they best satisfy their owners’ needs, real or not, that impresses.

And Ford isn’t hesitating to claim that loud and clear. Last week, during the presentation of the new Super Duty range, it relentlessly compared their trucks, advantageously of course, to the equivalent models sold by General Motors and Ram. When you’re the best, what’s the point of comparing to lesser products? Is it because its superiority isn’t as significant as Ford is making us believe?

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Let’s leave this battle of egos aside for a moment, and concentrate on the Super Duty lineup. Two years ago, Ford unveiled a new F-150 built with body panels entirely made of aluminum. It was a risky move, but we must admit that it was a successful one.

By adopting aluminum, the new F-250, F-350 and F-450 are 350 lbs. (159 kg) lighter. In fact, the company could’ve made the trucks even lighter, but engineers preferred reinforcing the chassis, which added a few pounds here and there.

That chassis is recent and replaced the previous one that supported the truck for the last 18 years. It’s composed of a fully boxed, high-strength steel frame and ten reinforcements. This independent chassis is used for all Super Duty models, ranging from the F-250 to the F-750, but stretched according to the cab configuration, with a larger front end from the F-450 up.

Thank you, F-150

Three cab sizes are offered; regular, SuperCab and Crew Cab. Unlike the previous generation, these cabs are taken from the F-150 and consequently made bigger. We shouldn’t be surprised to see that the instrument panel in the Super Duty is similar to the F-150’s.

According to Ford, in Canada, about 50% of Super Duty trucks will be sold to fleets, and the other 50% are purchased to retail customers. Ford also expects the majority of them will be Crew Cab variants. For carrying five passengers in utter comfort or for trying to impress the brother-in-law, this cabin is the one to get, especially if it’s the “company” that’s paying for it!

Between 430 and 925 pound-feet

Two engines are offered in the 2017 Ford F-Series Super Duty. There’s a gasoline 6.2-litre V8 with 385 horsepower and 430 pound-feet of torque for the light tasks… figure of speech. It’s found in the F-250 and the F-350. Next up is a Power Stroke turbo-diesel, 6.7-litre V8 that develops 440 hp and an impressive 925 lb.-ft. The latter is available in the F-250, the F-350 and the F-450. For the Chassis-Cab models without a bed, it’s also possible to order a gasoline 6.8-litre V10 whose main attribute is that it can easily be converted to natural gas, an advantage for big fleets.

No matter the engine, the transmission is a six-speed automatic. However, even if the number of gears doesn’t change, there are actually two different transmissions. The whole lineup receives the TorqShift unit except the F-250 with the 6.2L engine, which benefits from the new TorqShift-G gearbox, an improved version that will be better appreciated, especially when the truck’s bed is loaded or pulling a trailer. We wouldn’t be surprised to see this new transmission spread across the Super Duty lineup within a few years.

During our test, I had the opportunity to drive several F-250 and F-350 versions equipped with both engines and various options. On certain more luxurious trim levels, the Super Duty range benefits from an adaptive steering system. After trying a pickup that included this feature and one with the conventional steering system, the latter undeniably requires more effort at the helm, especially in tight turns.

FX4=4x4

Unloaded, the F-250 drives a little like an F-150 that gained weight. On a tight slalom course, and aside from the adaptive steering, we felt that the F-250 was very comfortable on the road. We also tried an FX4 version of the F-250, with the 6.7L engine, on a severe off-road course. The first truck we drove surrendered after the first few metres, as its air filter was completely clogged with mud. We must point out here that several journalists went through the course before us. Also in its defense, very few owners will subject a Super Duty to such a difficult course as the one Ford had set up. The next vehicle easily passed the test.

The reactions of the unloaded F-350 fitted with the 6.7L engine were obviously stiffer than the F-250’s, but not to the point of being uncomfortable. We also drove it with a trailer that weighed 10 000 pounds. As we started to accelerate, we obviously felt that heavy load in back, yet once in motion on a flat road, we easily forgot about it. It’s especially when climbing grades that the vehicle has to work more. And heading down an incline, the tow mode worked wonders. The driver simply has to touch the brake pedal and the engine braking system immediately reacts on the turbo so the vehicle keeps its speed. Aside from a change in engine noise, this operation is almost seamless.

Soon, we’ll be talking about the various technologies on board the Super Duty range. To be continued…